A jar of goma dare is a new favourite fixture in my fridge door. This Japanese-style condiment, dipping sauce and dressing made from ground sesame seeds is powerful in flavour, sweet, sour and creamy all at the same time, while the addition of grated ginger and/or garlic makes it wonderfully piquant, too. It’s also very … Read more
This is a great time to be a shopkeeper, if that shop is for those worried about the breakdown of civilisation. “It started with Covid, and people weren’t looking for toilet rolls, put it that way,” says Justin Jones, who runs the online UK Prepping Shop, whose stock ranges from emergency food and wind-up radios … Read more
When mango season is upon us, I love nothing more than thinking of as many waysas possible to eat them. It’s hard to beat the joy of messily eating one over a sink, but these flaky, American-style shortcakes, which you may recognise as similar to scones, are a brilliant mango delivery method. Meanwhile, there are … Read more
The pelvic floor is an essential but often overlooked and misunderstood part of the human body. Some people don’t even know they have one. “We’re never really taught about it,” says Dr Sara Reardon, a board-certified pelvic floor therapist and author of Floored: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage. … Read more
I started dating someone I really like about two months ago. We click on all levels and he adores me, but he has some complicated circumstances, which means we have no sex life. He has anxiety and takes SSRIs, which reduce his libido. He also takes blood thinners for a coronary issue, which I know … Read more
Name: Wedding lists Age: Invented in Chicago 101 years ago. Appearance: Increasingly bleak. You’re right, I also resent being told what to buy people for their wedding. Exactly – especially when what they’re asking for is toilet paper. Pardon? No, honestly, this is a thing now. Tesco does it. But wedding lists should be to … Read more
A south-westerly wind blew us to Ærø. This little Baltic island (pronounced Air-rue) in Denmark’s South Funen archipelago is home to some 6,000 fortunate residents who enjoy free bus services, shallow swimming beaches and picture-perfect villages. The 54 sq mile island has a history of building sailing ships and there is an excellent maritime museum, … Read more
Culturally, sex is often portrayed as something enjoyed exclusively by the young and nubile. In reality, that’s far from the case. “At 74, I have never had such a fulfilling sex life,” Jane Fonda told the Sun in 2012. “When I was young I had so many inhibitions — I didn’t know what I desired.” … Read more
Marathons? Pfft, easy. If you really want to test your mental and physical endurance, try taking a reluctant toddler up a hill. I was ready to yield to circumstance after our first few attempts at a family walk. Prepared to accept that my active, outdoorsy days were behind me and go full cartoon-dad mode, sprawled … Read more
Frisbees, solar panels and a toilet are among the rather unorthodox stars of the Chelsea flower show, as horticulturalists attempt to show how gardens can be practical as well as beautiful. The event, now in its 112th year, usually tends toward showcasing peonies and roses over human waste. But the Garden of the Future, designed … Read more